A YEAR IN SAN FELIPE

Randy and I set off huge fireworks last week with the kids in honor of our one-year anniversary at Sonshine Hacienda. A year ago we were nervous and excited, expectant of all that our time here would bring.

It hasn’t been anything like we imagined.

The kids, obviously, bring us the most joy. There are 17 here now, but 18 others have come and gone in our time here — 35 opportunities to love and care, to provide a safe and nurturing environment. We’ve seen them arrive, dirty and hungry with intestines full of worms, arms covered in cigarette burns, eyes black and blue. And we’ve seen them leave with new clothes, new shoes, new spirits of hopefulness.

They’ve taught us so much about what is important in life.

And they’ve stretched our patience to the limits just like any other child.

Our teenagers lie and manipulate just like yours do. Our toddlers throw tantrums just like yours do. Our kids get the flu and throw up all over their beds just like yours do. Our kids have a Christmas list a mile long just like yours do.

And in the next minute they fill our hearts with gratitude.

They write us love notes just like yours do. They repeat phrases that they’ve heard us say over and over again at the perfect moment just like yours do. They fall asleep in their food just like yours do. They snuggle up against us and hug our knees and want us to kiss their boo-boos just like yours do.

We’ve seen a kid be adopted. We’ve celebrated a baby’s birth and another’s first birthday. We’ve taught kids to swim and ride bikes. We've wiggled a loose tooth and changed dirty diapers, removed splinters and played Santa. And eaten more beans and rice than most Americans will in a lifetime.

The love we have for these kids was completely expected. The heartache we have when they leave is something we have adjusted to. But the situations that many of them come out of I will never get used to.

And yet, even though we live and work here, our role at Sonshine Hacienda has become more “working parents” than “stay-at-home parents”. Randy is busy building a new dining room, repairing cars, and preparing to supervise the building of a new school. I am busy coordinating visitors, translating for groups, doing paperwork in the office, and organizing donations. Like any working parent, we long to spend more time with the kids, but instead have had to become more intentional with the time we do have — whether it is in the car on the way to school or at the dinner table, throwing water balloons at them from our apartment or buying donuts for their birthday breakfasts.

In the past year we have had many ups and downs. We often doubted that we would make it the entire year. We didn’t know if we would stay a day beyond that year-long commitment. But every “deal” we made with God — every stipulation we claimed we needed in order to stay — He has come through on, making it obvious in even our most stubborn moments that there is more work to be done, more love to be given, more lessons to be learned.

We haven’t been great at keeping in touch, via blog or otherwise, this year, but want each of you to know that you are appreciated. Your encouragement, your interest in our work, and your prayers have sustained us through some very dark times. And even though we have high hopes that the months ahead will be filled with more light than darkness, we continue to invite you to participate in our journey. Remember us in your thoughts. Come visit! Spread the word about the ministry of Sonshine Hacienda. Financially support our ministry. And pray that God will continue to guide our steps. You guys are our heroes!

With love, Randy and Katie 

 

P.S. Interested in making a year-end donation to support our ministry? Most of your donation will go to buy our gas and groceries, but we do use 10% of every donation to spoil the children, whether it is buying fireworks for their birthdays or a gallon of milk for dinner, so that when you love on us you love on them too! There are 2 ways to donate: 

(1) Donate via PayPal. After entering in the amount you wish to donate, be sure to include "For Randy and Katie" in the "purpose" or "special instructions" box as you give through Marketplace Missions. (Note: you can now donate thru PayPal via credit card, even if you don't have a PayPal account!) 

(2) Mail a check to: Randy and Katie Ubry-Terrell, PMB 525, PO Box 9005, Calexico, CA 92232. And be sure to include a Christmas card or little love note. We love hearing from you! 

THANK YOU!